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SPORTING POST • FRIDAY 25th - SUNDAY 27th FEBRUARY 2011
Gr2 Gauteng Gu in
Previous Winneeas rs 1997
1 Drum Star 2 Patchouli Da nc 3 Smart Mone er y
1998
1 Classic Flag 2 Chief Editor 3 The Delegato r
1999
1 Fort Defianc e 2 Gold Tax 3 Clifton King
2000
1 Highborn 2 Grand Form at 3 Facilitator
2001
1 Celtic Grove 2 Badger’s Dr ift 3 Little Romeo
2002
1 De Los Rios 2 Eventuail 3 Set Afire
2003
Kavanagh - third in both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr2 Dingaans
1 Surveyor 2 Yard-Arm 3 Allied Prospe ct
2004
1 Grand Empo riu 2 Heir Apparen m t 3 Royal Marin er
2005
Gr2 Gauteng Guineas over 1600m at Turffontein (stand side) on Saturday South Africa’s Triple Crown is made up of the Gr2 Gauteng Guineas, the Gr1 SA Classic and the Gr1 SA Derby, and with all three legs taking place in an eight week period, it takes an exceptional horse to win it. Since its inception in 1999 only Horse Chestnut has been able to achieve the feat. Thirteen take the stage for the Guineas on Saturday and the winner will earn a R1m bonus if also successful in the other two legs, writes STEVE FURNISH.
H
ighest rated of the thirteen is the recent Gr3 Tony Ruffel Stakes winners Link Man. After finishing a runner up on debut last season, this son of Toreador won his next two starts by steeplechase margins and then wound up a tremendous first campaign with victory in the prestigious Gr1 Gold Medallion over 1200m at Scottsville. He was only beaten a whisker when having his first start for Mike De Kock in the listed Golden Loom Handicap on his seasonal debut in November and again pitched in against older horses in the Gr2 Gauteng
Merchants next time out, was only beaten a neck. Link Man was racing beyond sprint distances for the first time when comfortably accounting for Shea Shea in the Tony Ruffel last time out and the manner of his victory would suggest that he will have no problems in seeing out the extra 150m here. He’s shown good improvement with every outing in our book and there looks to be more to come. Kavanagh Having finished third in both the Gr1 Cape Guineas and Gr2 Dingaans, Kavanagh is effective over 1600m and he
has won three of his four starts at this circuit. He won a conditions event with contemptuous ease over 1400m here just seventeen days ago and is clearly at the top of his game. What is interesting here though, is that Kavanagh has achieved all of his best ratings over shorter than today’s trip and he is yet to win over 1600m. He is, as those two recent third places in graded company would attest, up there with the very best of this generation though and effective in both good and soft underfoot conditions, he has to be a very serious runner.
Shea Shea Sharing joint second top rating with Kavanagh in the official handicapper’s standings is the National Emblem colt Shea Shea. Geoff Woodruff’s charge has progressed very nicely since shedding his maiden tag in July and has now won four from eight. His two most recent defeats were at the hands of Kavanagh and Link Man though, and on each occasion he held every chance. He goes a mile for the first time here and further improvement could well be forthcoming. He has a nice draw and looks sure to be thereabouts. Perana Making up what is clearly a very powerful coupling for champion trainer Mike De Kock is the unpredictable, but very talented Perana. A bit of an enigma, Perana put up a performance nothing short of sensational when beating the subsequent Gr1 Queen’s Plate winner and J&B Met runner up Mother Russia in the Gr2 Victory Moon Stakes over 1800m here in November, and as a result he was sent off favourite to win the prestigious Gr1
1 National Spirit 2 Silverpoint 3 Mister Assemb ly
2006
1 Hunting Towe r 2 Tiza 3 Bennie Blue
the Dingaans Summer Cup. Perana 2007 and having folded tamely after 1 Biarritz 2 Ravishing won his only making the running 3 Lightning Le subsequent in that event though cture 2008 start over toand has since been 1 Imbongi day’s course and beaten by runners in 2 Kilcoy Castl e distance just this race in his two 3 Horatio eleven days ago, subsequent outings. 2009 1 Oracy he is clearly a He did find extra in 2 Cerise Cherr force to be reckthe latter stages y 2 Royal Rez oned with. Galiwhen beaten by 2010 leo’s Galaxy was Galileo’s Destiny 1 Pierre Jourda n returning from a last time out 2 Havasha three month though, and he 3 Galileo’s Galax y break last time out was also finishing and his trainer the stronger when only a neck behind Kavanagh Charles Laird made no secret in the Gr1 Cape Guineas. of the fact that he was not fully Perana clearly has bags of abil- wound up. He can still imity and one gets the impression prove plenty and the Triple that we haven’t seen the best of Crown is clearly his mission. Expect a bold effort. him yet. Stable companion Western Charlie’s Trio Front has not been the most The lightly raced Galileo’s consistent of runners from the Galaxy was thought good stable of Charles Laird, but he enough to contest the Gr3 has nonetheless shown flashes Graham Beck Stakes in just his of real ability. Since winning a second career start in Novem- graduation event in October ber and beaten just a length though, he has been well beaten and a quarter by Kavanagh, he in three starts and is more than showed his class. Indeed, he likely being used here as a paceturned around that form when maker. a runner up to The Apache in >>cont. on page 5